Robinson takes step toward a possible trip to U.S. Open in local qualifier at Medford Village

   Ron Robinson was one of the top scholastic players in District One at North Penn and among a strong group of players competing in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s top junior events a couple of summers ago.

   The 20-year-old Hatfield resident has continued to improve his game at Monmouth and was coming off a strong sophomore season when he teed it up in a GAP-administered U.S. Open local qualifier Thursday at Medford Village Country Club in Medford, N.J.

   Robinson got his summer off to a good start as he grabbed one of the four tickets to sectional qualifying June 3, “golf’s longest day,” a 36-hole test, when he carded a solid 1-under 71 over the 7,100-yard, par-72 Medford Village layout. Robinson is just two good rounds at a sectional qualifier away from a trip to next month’s U.S. Open at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

   “The first thing I looked at this year was the U.S. Open qualifiers and figured out which I wanted to play,” Robinson told the GAP website. “It’s a pretty big deal, getting through to sectionals. It’s the biggest stage, the U.S. Open.”

   Robinson capped his GAP junior career with a victory in the 2017 Jock Mackenzie Memorial, one of GAP’s junior major championships. The victory also helped him nail down a second consecutive Harry Hammond Award, which is the junior equivalent of the amateur Silver Cross, combining scores from the GAP Junior Boys’ Championship qualifier, the 36-hole Christman Cup and the Jock Mackenzie.

   He finished off a solid sophomore season at Monmouth by finishing among the group tied for 23^rd at 16-over 232 in the MAAC Championship last month at Disney’s Magnolia Course in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

   Robinson gained a lot of momentum in his round when he chipped in for birdie at the tough 232-yard, par-3 11^th. He had two other birdies on his card.

   Robinson was the only amateur to advance out of the qualifier as he was joined by three professional golfers, including the co-medalists, Kevin Foley, a former Penn State standout out of Somerville, N.J., and Brett Jones of Basking Ridge, N.J., both of whom carded a solid 3-under 69.

David Sanders, a Laurel Creek Country Club member who is playing professionally out of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., finished third with a 2-under 70.

   As usual, the journey for a professional golfer can take any number of paths.

   The 31-year-old Foley claimed a Web.com Tour victory in 2013 and earned his PGA Tour card for 2014. Knee surgery following that year on the big stage has slowed his progress, but he did make it to the 2016 U.S. Open at the historic Oakmont Country Club in western Pennsylvania out of sectional qualifying.

   Foley made about 38 yards – yes, yards – worth of birdie putts in the last six holes of his 69. He dropped a 10-footer for birdie at the 13^th hole, a 30-footer at the 14^th, a 45-foot bomb at the 16^th and another 30-footer at the 17^th.

   The 43-year-old Jones, a native of Australia, has played in the PGA Professional Championship eight times in the last 10 years, qualifying for the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits out of the National Club Pro. He had an efficient round that included birdies at the fifth, 14^th and 16^th holes with nary a bogey on the card.

   Sanders, who will play the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada this summer, advanced out of local qualifying for the ninth time in 16 tries, but has never made it to the U.S. Open.

   The first alternate was reigning Philadelphia Section PGA OMEGA Player of the Year Billy Stewart, an assistant pro at The Ace Club who matched par with a 72. Stewart had a big summer in 2018, winning the Philadelphia Open at St. Davids Golf Club and the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Concord Country Club.

   The second alternate was Louis Kelly, a professional out of Sewell, N.J. who has been a member at Philmont Country Club.

   Brian Gaffney, the head pro at Essex Fells Country Club in New Jersey, lost out in a 3-for-2 playoff for alternate positioning as he matched the 72s posted by Stewart and Kelly.